Talking Parrots

A young parrot bonds easily with its owner, that is you, which makes teaching it to talk a lot easier.  Just like with any other young pet, if you treat it gently and with patience, it will learn to trust you and feel comfortable when handled.  Most talking parrots were trained at an early age, and as they get used to training, they progress further into expanding their vocabulary or performing tricks.

What do you when you bring a newly purchased young parrot home? Give the bird time to settle in its new environment.  Be around the bird and talk to it gently.  It is common for the bird to retreat back when you attempt to touch it in the cage.  Build on the relationship until the bird shows no sign of nervousness.  Do not let children to come near the bird at this stage. 

Offering food from your finger is a great way to build trust and confidence.  A millet spray is useful for this purpose because you don’t need to extend your hand too close to the bird.  As trust is built, you can gradually shorten the millet spray to get closer to the bird.  Even when you are not teaching the young parrot to talk at this moment, it is still absorbing the sounds around it and that includes whatever you say to it and the sounds of appliances in the home such as the door bell, telephone, microwave, tv etc.

Once confidence and trust is built, and you are the best person to know this, your training program to teach your parrot to talk can begin.  There many ways to do this and I have written about this in my previous posts.  I recommend that that you use modern technology to assist you so that you can save your energy for other purposes.  When I say modern technology, that includes the use of CD recorded sounds specially made for teaching parrots to talk, or your voice pre-recorded on tape and played at different times of the day when you not at home.  You can be creative too by letting your bird listen to catchy phrases, or songs from famous singers such as Pavarotti.  You will be amazed by the results your parrot come up with.

Talking parrots are fun to have around as pets.  African Greys, Cockatoos and Ringnecks are popular talking parrots as they are easier to train and absorb and retain sounds better.  If you go to any bird aviary or zoo, you will find that most of the talking parrots are from these species, and you will see that talking parrots receive the most attention.  Even businesses are turning to talking parrots to attract more attention because they are crowd pullers.  It is not uncommon to see Macaws and Cockatoos at car dealerships, or outside a supermarket, or a fairground, with people getting amused at seeing these wonderful talking parrots

By Amanda Drake

Without a doubt parrots are one of the most intelligent pets you can own. Their extremely high intelligence, coupled with the fact that they love a social life, makes them extraordinary companions. Because there are so many different types of parrots, you must do your research before acquiring a pet bird, because many factors will influence the type of experience you will have in owning a bird.

People are often surprised to learn that parrots require quite a bit of space, so you must consider what size cage your home can easily accommodate. When you visit websites they usually group available cages into small, medium and large, but if you have never owned a pet bird it is often difficult to determine how that relates to specific breeds of parrot.

A small parrot would be something like a cockatiel, the numerous varieties of conures, Indian ringnecks and any other bird who does not get much longer than 12 inches (from top of head to end of the tail feathers). The toys that must be put into the cage to keep your bird happily occupied are smaller and so you can probably house one bird in a 24″ x 22″ cage comfortably. If you put smaller birds in a large bird’s cage (for instance if someone gives you a cage) you must also make sure the bird’s head cannot fit between the bar spacing. For small birds, the bar spacing should be no wider than 3/4″.

A medium sized bird would be considered to be the size of an African grey parrot, the Timneh grey parrot, Amazons and the smaller cockatoos like the Sulphur Crest and the Goffins Cockatoo. These birds are very playful and so the playground you build inside their cage requires lots of room, not to mention their wingspan is considerably larger. Ideally they will have room to hang upside down from a swing and flap their wings in joy. The absolutely smallest size cage for one medium bird would be the 32″ x 23″ size and even larger would be better. The bar spacing for these medium parrots can be as much as one inch, but no more. They should also be made of heavy enough material that the bird cannot chew through it.

All the same considerations must be given to providing a cage for a large parrot. Large parrots are the greater Cockatoos, Eclectus and Macaws. Especially for Macaws, a cage with plenty of height is needed to accommodate the very long tail feathers or you will end up with a parrot with broken feathers. These birds require many large, destructible toys in their cages as reducing the world to toothpicks seems to be the Cockatoos’ mission in life. Some people say these birds can be kept in cages 36″ by 24″, but they won’t be happy. You will need several large parrot toys as well as swings, so for these gorgeous birds, go as big as you can possibly afford.

Parrots are shockingly clever, and that is why you will see cages advertised with “parrot proof locks” on the doors and feeding stalls. This is not sales hype. I have personally seen cockatoos work for literally hours to open a cage door and they eventually succeed. Even with “parrot proof locks” you may still need to resort to bicycle chain and a clamp to eliminate jailbreaks.

Keep in mind if you house two birds together they will need more room. All birds like to stretch out their wings to full extension on occasion, and when excited will extend both simultaneously, so a perfect cage size allows enough room for this to be possible. When in doubt, go one size larger as you will then be able to put in more toys, swings and exercise rings.

The last consideration when buying a cage is what it is made of. Although the cages that are powder coated or stainless steel tend to be more expensive, you will find they do not rust (which can be critical for your bird’s health) and they are much easier for you to clean. Also, for your ease of cleanup, always get a cage where the bottom of the cage pulls out to change the papers without you having to go into the cage. This is easier for the owner and also allows for bird sitters to care for the birds when you are on vacation.

In short, make a healthy, spacious, entertaining environment for your parrot because if they are happy, you will be happier as well. Parrots live for decades so the investment is well worth it.

Amanda Drake managed a parrot rescue in Arizona for 3 years and is dedicated to making sure people understand the commitment required when taking a parrot as a pet. Her website http://www.birdvideo.org is dedicated to helping neglected and abused parrots.

By Lee Dobbins

by Sharon Seltzer

Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy are a pair of Cockatoos that have lived together like an old married couple for the past 50 years.  They were used by a commercial bird breeder for more than 30 years and then discarded when they were no longer useful.  That’s when the pair came to the attention of Under My Wing Avian Refuge.

The non-profit bird sanctuary based in New Jersey rescued Ann and Andy along with five other exotic birds.  All of them showed signs of neglect.  One Amazon named Herbie was in particularly bad shape and could barely stand.  The breeder had allowed the bird’s nails to overgrow and curl into his feet.

All seven birds returned to Under My Wing with the organization’s founder, Paula Ashfield.  They joined the 130 other rescued exotic birds at the sanctuary where it was assumed they would safely spend the rest of their lives.

But in late Fall, 2009 Ashfield’s world suddenly fell apart when she received word that Under My Wing Avian Refuge was no longer welcome in the New Jersey town she had called home for many years.  She and her husband were at a loss about what to do for the birds that they fondly call “the kids.”

“We had to make sure there is always a sanctuary for the kids,” Ashfield said.

Under My Wing is the only no-kill exotic bird rescue organization in the area. They serve New Jersey, upstate New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania. They rescue and rehabilitate birds that have been abused, neglected or abandoned.  The group is called upon by animal rescue groups, animal control and law enforcement agencies whenever a bird is in trouble.  Ashfield has even testified in court cases on behalf of the birds she has rescued.

So on a wing and a prayer the Ashfields’ began a search that eventually led them to the animal friendly city of Wantage, New Jersey and a foreclosed home on 10 ½ acres.  Over the past several weeks Under My Wing has been getting ready for “the kids” to arrive in their new home.

Ashfield said it has taken the combined help from electricians, plumbers and carpenters to repair the rundown home on the property and turn it into a safe haven for the birds.  In addition, Under My Wing had to install a water heater, alarm system and additional plumbing to filter well water for the birds to drink and bathe.

One by one finally “the kids” arrived at their new home in a rented van.  Paula reported that all of the 130 plus birds are doing well.  Only a Cockatiel named Tommy had a slight accident after the move when he flew into a window.

All in all Paula is excited about the prospects of the new sanctuary.  “The bigger space will allow us to do what we want.”

The larger facility will let Under My Wing expand their humane education program for children.  Paula is adamant this is the only way to stop the abuse and neglect of exotic birds.  The group’s humane program teaches kids about the special needs of exotic birds and gives them a hands-on experience with them.

The other major goal is to have the organization approved by FEMA so Under My Wing can accept exotic birds that are displaced after a federal emergency or natural disaster.

Like most small animal rescue groups, Under My Wing works on a very tight budget with a handful of dedicated volunteers. Their relocation has used up most of their funds.

Here is a wish list of things this very deserving group could use to make their transition go smoother:

• New perches for every cage
• Chewable toys and hanging ropes for the birds
• Volunteers to get the sanctuary organized and the grounds in shape
• Materials to build outdoor aviaries
• Donations to purchase bird food, vitamins and other supplies
• A van to transport the birds

Click here to read more about Under My Wing Avian Refuge and how to donate supplies.